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Here’s how sitting harms your body

Here’s what really happens to your body after sitting through a sit-com marathon.

1) ON YOUR SPINE

The problem: Sitting for long hours curve your spine into a C-shape, and keeping it that way for too long can cause cramped and aching muscles.The solution: Consider a recliner or tucking a pillow behind your chair. It’ll keep your back straight and comfortable, and help you maintain proper posture.

2) ON YOUR QUADS

The problem: According to a recent research, people who say they watch television frequently are 40 per cent less likely to exercise than non-TV watchers. Sitting for long hours also puts pressure on those inflexible quads.The solution: Use the sitcoms you watch as motivation. Watching someone fit onscreen (sometimes, on a daily basis) makes you more likely to want your body to look like the characters you admire.

3) ON YOUR GUT

The problem: Piling on extra kilos. Every two hours of TV you watch a day, you’re 23 per cent more likely to become obese (and 14 per cent more likely to develop diabetes).The solution: Avoid the food shows. It makes you crave unhealthy food that you wouldn’t generally have access to in your kitchen.

4) ON YOUR BRAIN

The problem: After a long TV marathon, you may start resembling a zombie. Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital recently found that a typical binge in front of fluorescent light (about four hours) before going to bed makes it harder to fall asleep, reduces REM sleep, and makes one groggy the next day, even after clocking eight hours of sleep. The reason is that the blue light which the television emits, inhibits the release of melatonin, a hormone that helps you knock off.The solution: Limit your viewing to two hours after work . If you can, avoid it on an daily basis. Daytime bingeing won’t affect your sleep cycle. But why would you choose to vegetate in front of the TV on bright summer afternoons?

5) ON YOUR LUNGSThe problem: Among the many health hazards it causes, sitting for long hours can also shrink your lung capacity by a third, so you get less oxygen, which causes a decrease in mental focus the second you sit on the couch.The solution: Sit on a chair with a pillow behind your lower back. It is a position that helps open your lungs.

6) ON YOUR HEART

The problem: Listen to your heart beat.An Australian study of national health records found that, on an average, every single hour of television watching after 25 reduces life expectancy by close to 22 minutes.The solution: Researchers have discovered little mortality risk for people who watch less than an hour a day. Pick a show that’s a real brain numbing deal, so you’re more likely to need time between episodes.